Amtrak’s Borealis, the passenger rail line running between St. Paul’s Union Depot and Chicago’s Union Station, recently marked its first anniversary. But there is a bigger reason to celebrate. Ridership has surpassed the 205,800 mark as of April 30, rolling past original projections from the Minnesota Department of Transportation that showed the line would serve between 125,000 and 135,000 riders annually. The original Amtrak feasibility study from 2015 put that number at 155,500. Later projections showed as many as 232,000 riders would take the Borealis each year. And with May totals still to come, the 411-mile line may reach that number. Minnesota rail advocates think there’s even more potential for the Borealis. Read more at the link in our bio. Reporting by Tim Harlow. Photo by Richard Tsong-Taatarii/The Minnesota Star Tribune. #minnesota #amtrak #borealis #train #publictransport